Expansion-joint for railroad-track rails



(No Model.)

lA. J. MOXI-IAM.-

EXPANSION JOINT IOR RAILROAD TRAOK RAILS.

A. I Tm. o

Patented Dee. 25, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ARTHUR J. MOXHAM, OF JOHNSTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPANSlONwJOINT FOR RAILROAD-"TRACK RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 395,248, dated December 25, 1888.

Application tiled Majv 28, 1887. Serial No. 239,606. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. MOXHAM, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Expansion-Joint for the Rails of Street-Railroads, which invention is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide an expansioirjoint which shall at the saine time act as a crossing-piece, forming part of one rail and lapping over the other, or lapping each rail as a separate piece, as may be preferred.

The invention will first be described, and then particularly set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure l shows the expansion-joint in side elevation; Fig. 2, a plan of said joint; Fig. 3, a view in plan of the bottoms of the two rails shown in the preceding figures. Fig. 4 shows a crosssection, enlargec'l, taken at the line X X of Fig. l.

In said figures the several parts are indicated by letters of reference, by nieans of which the invention will now be described,

A A indicato stringer guard-rails; B, a plate fitting inversely into a groove, G, Fig. Ai, and over the head of the rails A, and preferably provided with an offset, as at H, Fig. l, though said 'offset is not a necessity. The rivets b connect the plate B to one rail through countersnnk rivet-holes c, and said plate laps over the adjoining rail, and is rigidly connected thereto bythe bolts D, the nuts on which bolts are countersunk, as at C. The heads of said bolts lie in countersunk slots d. Said slots permit of the rails being `loabove described neither the heads nor the nuts of the connecting-bolts are exposed, and the upper and lower surface of the joint is retained in a level or horizontal plane. The ends e of the plate B protrude past the parts J, and extend farther on and into the groove G, said ends e being each inclined down to the level of the bottom of the groove G to permit of the car-wheels being lifted on their iianges up said inclines upon the plate B. If it be desired to reduce the height of said lift of the car-wheels, the bridge-plate B may be cut away, as shown by dotted lines at P, Fig. 4, so that the gage of the line of the plate B will thus be brought directly over that of the rails A. A crossing or bridge piece is thus provided, forming part of one rail and lapping over the other one; but, if desired, the expansion-slots can be inade in both parts of the plate B, when said plate niay be a separate and detachable piece bolted to each rail, instead of being riveted to one and. bolted to the other.

It will be thus observed that this joint is in fact part and parcel of the track-rail itself, and not nierely a joint-piece between two rails, for the rail preserves its function as a rail, utilizing said piece therefonfhile the piece preserves the functions both of rail and joint.

Having thus fully described my said railroaderail expansioirjoint as of my invention, I claim- An expansion-joint plate terminating in inclined planes extending beneath the tread and under the flanges of the car-wheels, sub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ARTHUR J. MOXHAM.

\Vit1iesses:

C. R. POWELL, RoBT. W. WELCH. 

